Breakfast & Business

Join us for a legislative update and status of the state's new technology tax from Michael Widmer.

Speaker: Michael Widmer, President of the Massachusetts Taxpayers Association.

Topic Description
On July 31, 2013, Massachusetts imposed the largest and broadest tax on computer and software services in the nation. The tax targets innovation - the very core of the state's economic future - impacting thousands of businesses, large and small, in every sector of the economy. Michael Widmer is one of 20 Massachusetts business leaders, representing both small and large companies, that filed an initiative petition to repeal the new legislation in early August. Join Michael for an eye-opening update on this important topic affecting the business sector.

Speaker Biography
Michael J. Widmer has been President of the Massachusetts Taxpayers Foundation since 1992. He joined the Foundation in 1990 after more than 20 years of management and political experience in both the public and private sectors in Massachusetts. He held a variety of senior-level positions at Cabot Corporation between 1979 and 1990, first as Director of Public Affairs and later as Vice President for Human Resources. During the 1970s Mr. Widmer served with the Sargent administration as Special Assistant to the Secretary of Human Services and in the first Dukakis administration as the Governor's Director of Communications and Deputy Chief Secretary. Earlier in his career Mr. Widmer worked as a reporter for United Press International. A cum laude graduate of Princeton University, Mr. Widmer holds M.A. and Ph.D. degrees in political science from Harvard University.